Biography
It was founded by Hugh O'Hagan, now commonly known as Hugh Reed, circa 1990 from an amalgam of members of The Harlequin Cabbage Bugs, Halcyon Days, The Rhythm Kittens and the Trouser Coughs including at different times Lawson Campbell, Stewart MacDonald and Lindsey Watt.
The first gig HR&TVU ever played was as an experiment of popular culture in support of Pas the Gas at His Nibs. Hugh Reed being a ripoff of Lou Reed, which reflected everyone's inspiration, i.e. the NYC underworld.
The first set this band ever played consisted of four songs. 'Sweet Jane' 'Walk on the (Clyde)wild)side Waiting for the Man', 'White light/Heat', 'Get it On', all in support of Pas the Gas, a Glasgow band that never came to much, but contained several great musicians
The band had a large number of different members throughout its existence, in addition to core personnel Hugh O'Hagan, and slightly later, Tom Docherty. Tom's younger brother, Terence Docherty was their first guitarist, and returned later as part of the Hugh Reed Explosion. Tom's youngest brother, Tony Docherty, was an occasional bassist. The association between the Docherty brothers and Reed still carrys on.
The Velvet Underpants was particularly noted for its highly theatrical presentation and witty use of pun, titles "Take a Walk on the Clydeside" and "Smells Like Troon Harbour" being examples, and also, of course, the name of the band.
Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants lasted until Valentine's Day 1998, but was later reborn as the Hugh Reed Explosion.
Song material would range from discussion of public perceptions of trainspotters and descriptions of hangovers, to accounts of what can happen when you drink in Glasgow's east end during an Old Firm game while wearing the wrong football scarf.
A typical Underpants gig would feature a stage dressed with numerous television sets all turned on, glitter balls and an overhead projector having coloured oils dropped on it. Reed would go through numerous costume changes and actions ranging from a policeman to a bride to illustrate each song.
Quite often he would leap manically about the audience, lost in an almost primal scream presentation. However, underpinning this, was a tight backing band who could shift from punk rock ("Trainspotting") to scat-funk ("Salt, Sperm, Saliva, Sweat").
Since 2009, Reed has been living on and off in China, playing gigs in Beijing and played the first ever Rock gigs in the south, western city of Zunyi, which is a town with a population equivalent to Glasgow, Manchester or Liverpool.
Read more about this topic: Hugh Reed And The Velvet Underpants
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